Thursday, March 22, 2007

After a month of solid racing, we get to take a breather this weekend. There is the Independence Valley RR near Olympia for those of you that just can't get enough. You do have to have your USA Cycling to race in Washington this year (at least for 1/2's), but it's only $60 this year instead of like $130 last year (or was that UCI membership that was really expensive?). Maybe OBRA should start requiring the USAC membership, anyone know the major pros and cons (except the cost)? You're gonna need it for TST.

Word on the street is that Zach Winter is flying solo. It might be the best situation for him. Any teams been talking? I'll bet Russell Cree would love to have that set of legs in the Hagens-Berman camp, he's a stickler for attitude though. He could give Therapeutic Associates the bump they need to be a top team. Who wouldn't love to see him show up in a Hutch's-OIC kit, that would be rich.

Ooooooh, here's an Idea, Benaroya Research Institute. If Stevenson's still in Portland, they would make a great match. If Russell's racing career is on the wane, he could help Zach manage the megalomania and get some top results. They have very similar strengths on the bike and a bit of orneriness to boot. Man, I should be a Director Sportif.

Apparently Jacob Rathe(Beaverton Bicycle Club) is racing sparingly in the 3's as to not be forced to upgrade before he is ready. This is probably smart, he has a lot he can still accomplish as a junior.

Here's another kid that's tearin' up the 3's with junior gears. Jordan Campbell(Hagens-Berman) up in Washington. I think he's 15. Photo by Mike Hone.

Is Hagens-Berman going to end up with Jacob(BBC), Jordan(HB), Ian Bosworth(HB) and Carson Miller(Fred Meyer) on the same team (RC shaking head "yes"). There's a northwest based pro squad in the making.

Oh yeah, this is all speculation. Maybe it'll get some gears grinding. I should be a DS.

Nothing says springtime like grown Italian men crying like babies as they cross the line. Got a Milan-San Remo pick? I'll go with Davide Rebellin. He showed the form at Paris-Nice and can win classics. Bettini hit the deck three times last week (rainbow jerseys are VERY heavy). Pettachi seems to be coming on slowly and Boonen's not allowed to win because he's not Italian.

Time to get a few more endurance miles in and watch some basketball. USC beat Texas, WTF? Then Durant said he should have played harder, oh well Pac-10's lookin' strong. Can Georgetown take down Psycho-T (worst knickname of all time) and UNC in an old-school Elite-8 showdown?

11 comments:

Because TST is the only road race where you don't have to do the same loop over and over... but it's a long ways from Corvallis.

Those kids are all fast. It's great to see such young guys tearing up the 3's. I think you forgot Grant Boursaw who has also been doing well in the 3's in WA. Reminds me of the days when Farrar and Wilcox were dominating the 3's at 14 years old.

I'm all for the young guys riding well, and hopefully they will stick it out and we can talk to them when they are Cat 1's. Until then, I think it's best to find a good local mentor to show them the ropes and not take it too seriously at that age. Just have fun regardless of how talented they are, that's most important.

As for Zacharia - We aren't really set up to take riders mid-season. we just don't have the resources mid season since we have already delegated all our equipment and clothing to our roster. But I wish him the best of luck. I'd like to see him on a solid team that will employ tactics and allow him to pursue some bigger races. Axley? Bob's?

The USAC bit ended up sounding awkward. I'm just curious what it would take to make it so that we are good to go when we race outside Oregon. Does WSBA just register through USAC or do they just make everyone get it in addition to a WSBA membership?

I think OBRA makes access to racing really easy and wouldn't want to convolute the process.

WSBA is a local racing association, and they still require a USAC license. Basically, in WA we pay our USA Cycling fees ($60 minimum) and then also pay the WSBA fee (similar to OBRA fees). Our races cost about the same for entry fees to the riders but they cost more to promote due to the USAC fee structure. You Oregon guys have it good and OBRA is unparalleled across the nation. I've raced in all regions and there's nothing like it. You are all very lucky to have OBRA.

Not every OBRA rider who races on the road stays there every single weekend. For example, a significant portion of the 1-2 peloton will be racing on their mountain bikes this weekend, at the HORNING'S HUSTLE MTB race. Some of us actually consider weeks w/o MTB events to be "off weekends" and dabble on the road. :)

If you're a roadie, how about giving the dirt a try now and then. It is lots of fun!